Those Left Behind
by xXxAnGeLFLoNnExXx
Summary: Spin-off to Endless Cycle. On his last breath, Cross thinks about his life— his childhood, Maria, and the idiot apprentice. He had been a street rat until he met Neah, who picked him up from the streets. Now, he got involved in something avoidable if he had ignored his 'savior'. This is the Cross Marian's story: the sides of him that has never been seen before. Ending edited!


**Got inspired all of a sudden… I just wanted to get this outta my system.**

**This is a backstory that I thought of yesterday. So this focuses on Cross's side of the DGM series. Anyways, his earliest memory is 38 years ago, when Cross is a seven year-old kid. I estimate his age to be fourty-something in DGM canon.**

**You guys need to read the other story to understand who 'Alain' is or else you people won't understand, or read until the near-end of the fic. **Alain is not an OC**. He is a certain adorable Exorcist that we all know and love to death. **

**Cross would definitely be OOC here because this story features a side of him that he never showed to the public (or had never shown in DGM, except in a few parts).**

**You guys have no idea how many times I tried to finish this because every time I try, it ends up too long for my liking. I wrote and deleted many scenes just to compress the entire story.**

**Review this baby, people!**

**Enjoy!**

**Edited: **7/18/13

* * *

_In life, there is always another side, another story— but not everyone knows it._

* * *

"Shit," The red-haired General hissed. "I should've seen this coming."

He panted on the windowsill, pressing his left hand on the large gun wound on his stomach. Cross glared at his assailant who gazed at him smugly, holding _his_ Judgment. The attacker was an anomalous life form. He was white all-over and somewhat cracked in appearance. He was hairless and the color of his eyes were inverted, with the white part on his iris and the rest of his eyeballs were black. He possessed a cross symbol on the middle of his upper chest. He was Apocryphos, the sentient Innocence who claimed to be the protector of the Heart.

The bastard had stolen Judgment and severed its ties to him.

"Cross Marian, you certainly gave the Order a fighting chance throughout the years you have served as one of God's apostles, however," He aimed the gun towards the General's chest. "you are one of the few who are connected to the Fourteenth, thus, you are a traitor. Any last words?"

He grinned at the alien-like Innocence.

"Fuck you."

A bang echoed in the room.

* * *

Sometimes, he wondered what would've happened if he had not accepted the Fourteenth's offer of a home.

However, if he hadn't taken his hand on that day, he wouldn't be where he is right now. He might as well be some random homeless man who could've been collateral damage in the stupid war between the Order and the Earl.

He would not have gained a new friend.

* * *

"Why are you following me?"

"You're interesting."

"Stop it."

"No. Besides, you look like you need a friend."

A brown-haired boy was following a dirty red-haired child no older than seven along the streets. Said kid hastened his steps that he was all but walking. However, his steps were not as big or long as the other's strides. If he took one step forward, it was as if the other took five steps. It wasn't long before the younger boy got tired and sat on the side of the cobblestone path, glaring at the male who stalked him since the moment they met.

"What's your name?" The brunet inquired.

He averted his gaze. "What's it to you? Why should I give you my name to a total stranger whose name I don't even know?"

The other chuckled. "I actually forgot about that. I'm Neah Walker, nice to meet you."

He grumbled.

"Um… I didn't quite catch what you said." Neah scratched the back of his head.

"The name's Cross Marian, idiot, and I won't repeat again so better stick that to your memory."

There was silence.

"Where are your parents, Cross?"

"Don't have any."

Silence descended upon them again.

"Living with you relatives then?"

"No."

Another bout of silence.

"You're in an orphanage then?"

"Are we playing twenty questions here or is this an interrogation? Look, if you're just bothering me about earlier, don't worry. I'll repay you eventually."

"You can forget about that. You don't owe me anything!"

"Well, what do you want?"

_'Well, this is a rather awkward conversation. I don't think he'll take it fine when I say that I pitied him and I want to help him. Kids like him are always stubborn,'_ The brunet sighed. This was getting nowhere. Cross only gave short, curt answers; refusing to elaborate more. Meanwhile, the boy held his gaze firmly, refusing to admit that the older male intimidated him. After all, there was a tall twelve year-old looming over an obviously shorter seven year-old. Neah then had an epiphany. If Cross was an orphan _and_ homeless, maybe he could—

The redhead was taken aback when a hand was outstretched towards him.

"Would you like to come with me?"

The brown-haired teen had a smile on his face.

He stared at him in awe and disbelief. Was he for real? Why would he do this? He didn't understand. Here he was, a filthy street urchin and the nobleman's kid offers him his home. They had met when the redhead stole some bread from the local bakery which was intended for the famous Walker family and its patriarch, Earl Adam Walker. The older male was the adopted son of the Earl. When he visited the shop, he had seen the child's predicament and paid for the food.

Suffice to say, they hadn't known each other for more than ten minutes.

Was he overly kind or just plain stupid?

The aforementioned brunet pouted a bit. "I'm not stupid." The redhead hadn't realized he said it out loud. He blushed in embarrassment and glared at the ground as if it was the reason why he had made a fool out of himself. The rich male laughed at his expression, wordlessly helped him up, and dusted off his clothes. He turned around and walked away. The kid stared at his retreating form.

_What should he do?_

_Was he leaving him?_

Somehow, that thought made his stomach drop.

As if sensing his uneasiness, Neah looked back and waved at him, gesturing at him to follow. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

Cross felt a smile on his face. Was this a new start for him— the opportunity that he had always wished for?

He took a step forward.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't be so demanding, geez. Not my fault you're a giant compared to me."

* * *

He would not gain a second chance in life.

* * *

"Everyone, I'd like to present a new unofficial member of the family." Neah pushed the red-haired child in front of him to let the rest of the Noahs see. There was only silence until a blue-haired girl squealed and glomped him. He fell from the impact. She hugged him as if there was no tomorrow.

"Oh, Neah. He's so cute~! What's his name?" Her arms remained wrapped around Cross's neck, slightly suffocating him.

"Ah, he's Cross Marian. I picked him up from that town we just visited."

* * *

He would not learn sorcery.

* * *

"I want to pull my own weight here. I can't keep mooching off of you."

Neah and Adam shared a look.

"Well, if you really want to serve us, then you have to train under the Skulls."

* * *

He would not be an Accomodator.

* * *

Cross was assigned to tend the flowers in the Noah of Pleasure's prized garden. It had been a dull and boring job when a vine grabbed his foot. When he was hoisted into the air, he noticed that he was dragged by the enormous man-eating plant that was recently added into Eden's collection.

As he dangled above the flower's mouth, he saw green sparks from inside. He sweatdropped._ 'Is that… Innocence?!'_ The redhead dove in and grabbed onto the fragment, making the plant hurry to try and eat him. Just as he felt that he was about to be swallowed, the boy had an epiphany on how to stop it.

"I LOVE YOU!"

The flower, lovingly called Roseanne by the Earl and its owner, spat him out along with the Innocence.

* * *

He would not have another friend.

* * *

"You're my temporary servant now. The name's Alain, and you shall address me as 'Master'!"

He glared daggers at the brunet, hoping that said guy would drop dead or at least be swallowed up by a hole that conveniently appeared out of nowhere. He now disliked the older teen.

"And why the fuck should I do that?"

Alain looked amused and feigned shock. "You like pet names, right? That means you're the kinky type, Ma-ri-an-chan~." He stressed out the syllables on the other's name, taking relish in Cross's utter humiliation. The apprentice pointed his finger towards the door and spoke in a wannabe-haughty tone. "Now go and take a bath, slave! You are in the presence of a beautiful being. Filthy things don't deserve to bask in my glory!"

"W-What? You've got to be kidding me!" First, he had insulted him with the pet names and the servant thing, and now, he's insulting him about his hygiene? What nerve!

"No, seriously, you stink. Go on and clean yourself, kiddo. Then we can start with the sorcery-thingamajig." The brunet pushed him out of the room and gave him a towel, waving him off before shutting the door. Cross grumbled and muttered curses under his breath. Now that he thought of it…

"I don't smell… do I?" He sniffed himself, and regretted doing so. The other was right. He stunk, badly. The stench of the old books had clung to his clothes because he had locked himself in his room for hours— he was covered by plant spit, too. After patting away imaginary dust from his clothes, Cross had no choice but to comply with Alain's request.

"Fuck, I smell like a hobo."

It was time for a bath.

And that was the start of a beautiful friendship.

* * *

He would not have a loyal companion like Tim.

* * *

"We'll name it," Neah paused before snapping his fingers. "Timcanpy!"

A golden-colored golem fluttered about, obviously liking the name. Cross and the Fourteenth shared a grin. Their fifty-seventh try on creating a special golem was a success. The redhead stared at the side, glancing sadly at the lump of metal and Dark Matter— their fifty-six failures.

"You really want to call it… _that_?" Anna, the black-haired twin, laughed as she replayed the name in her mind. Liane, the blond-haired one (and the slower of the two), had a question mark on the top of her head. She didn't get it. The ravenette whispered something in her ear before she went up and guffawed her ass off. The red-haired boy stared at the hysterical fraternal twins. He didn't get it, either.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow after the girls stopped laughing.

"Just try saying its name slowly," Anna explained in a verrryyy sluggish voice. She probably thought he was dumb. Asshole. "and you'll get it."

Timcanpy. Tim-can-py. Tim. Can… _Pee_?

After repeating the golem's name in his mind, he too, ended up rolling on the floor in laughter.

The Noah of Destruction pouted at them.

* * *

He would not have precious memories.

* * *

"Oh, hello. What's this?" Alain had never seen the antique-looking mirror before. He had made sure to look at every nook and cranny on the first day he had arrived in the mansion so it was unlikely that it had been there previously. Was it a new decor that the Earl bought or something?

"It's a magic mirror," The redhead servant replied blandly. The brunet snorted at the snarky comment. Sheesh, he asked nicely and the kid blew him off. Being a cheeky little snot, eh?

Well, two can play at that game.

"Really?" He feigned surprise and wonder.

"Yes. No. Who gives a damn?"

The apprentice rolled his eyes. Someone was a bit cranky today. He pretended to examine the mirror and he stared at his reflection. A minute later, he gave the younger a smirk. "I asked it to show me the most handsome guy in the world, and I saw myself. It really is a magic mirror."

Cross felt an eye twitch. The bastard was purposefully aggravating him.

* * *

He would not experience happiness with others.

* * *

The Bookman Apprentice was obviously bored. He had done nothing all day but stay in the library to do the reports that Bookman had left him to take care of— as said man went on a mission with the other Noahs. That was their job: Bookman goes out in the field to gather information and Alain compiles the informations and writes a report on it. There were a few times that they would switch jobs, though.

Right now, he was holding a textbook upside down. He was staring blankly at a random page before he turned to the redhead, who had been studying about the complex spells the Skulls told him about.

"Say, Cross." Oh, he knew that jaded tone. "People discovered Oxygen in 1783. How could they breathe before?"

Said servant boy facepalmed at the brunet's stupidity. And here he thought Bookmen were supposed to be smart.

* * *

And most of all, he would not have a family.

* * *

Cross dropped the book he was reading when he heard someone call his name. The redhead turned around and saw the Fourteenth waving at him, Timcanpy hovering over the male's head and Lero grasped in his free hand. "What is it?"

"Well, we're going to take a picture! It's been quite a while since we've all had a break."

He approached the redhead and grabbed his hand, dragging him outside of the library (with a certain slacker missing, _again_). They went to the family garden where Mana, Alain, and Allen (the dog) were sitting on the grass. The pair beckoned at them to get closer. When he and Neah found suitable spots, the Fourteenth released his hold on the umbrella golem and gave him a camera.

"You better get a clear shot of us, Lero!"

"Got it, lero!"

The pumpkin-head simply accepted the device from Neah's hands, seeing no harm from the request. The umbrella positioned the camera. On the last moment, Allen saw a butterfly flutter across of them and perked up in attention. He readied his legs before he jumped, giving chase.

"Oh, dear."

"Wah, my face!"

"Stupid Neah, stop elbowing me!"

"Wait, Lero. Allen's—!"

Cross reached out to grab the golem. However, Lero already took a photograph. A piece of paper fell out from it. The Musician's brother picked it up, blowing away some of the dust on the surface. He laughed as he showed it to the others.

On the photo was Allen, who was in mid-leap. Alain was staring at the dog with wide eyes and had a half-grimace on his face. Neah had accidentally elbowed the brunet after Allen had used his face as a leverage, leaving a paw print on his cheek. Cross had his arms out towards the front of the photograph for trying to stop Lero from taking a picture. Mana himself was on the side, laughing nervously at the comical sight.

The three had red faces and they all glared at Lero. They shouted in unison, "We told you to stop! Now, take another one!"

Their sudden outburst caught the golem off-guard, making him drop the device. The group stared at the broken camera on the ground. They won't be able to redo the shot. Mana simply scratched the back of his head. "Well, there's nothing we can do now."

"Why did you elbow my face? Idiot!" Alain yelled.

"Why is it my fault? Allen's the one who jumped on me!" Neah screeched back.

The two continued to banter back and forth as the Musician's brother tried to pacify them, only to fail. The red-haired boy, who had finally gotten out of his daze, snickered at their antics.

* * *

For all the blessings he had received, many curses went his way. With hope comes despair.

Cross learned it the hard way.

His world broke into pieces, fading away one by one.

* * *

There was blood. Blood everywhere.

Everything was painted with red.

Cross struggled to move, strings were attached to his body and Mana, choking them to death. He watched silently as Neah was being pushed back by Eden. How did things come to this? He had no idea on what's going on, and the Noah had used him and Mana as a leverage against his friend. He gritted his teeth in frustration. Here he was, bleeding to death as the Noah of Destruction tried to save them.

Why was he so useless?

Why was he so helpless?

The Innocence fragment in his pocket, which he had kept on him at all times since he found it, shone brightly. It gave off sparks that severed the strings on his body. The stone shot out from his person and went to his hands. It took the form of an ethereal lance.

However, he didn't register this in his mind. He did not pay heed to its new form, nor the Earl's arrival; not even the dog that sneaked into the room. Cross had only one thing in his mind at the moment—

_'Protect them!'_

There was a flash of green and pink followed by screams of pain and splatters of blood.

After some time, he felt warm arms embrace him. He leaned into the person's chest as he was carried across the room and was gently laid on the floor. The redhead barely noted that he was set down beside another person, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

His throat was dry.

His voice was hoarse.

His eyes blurred.

And darkness overwhelmed him as someone slammed the door open.

* * *

His friend leaves his side to go on his own journey destined for Hell.

* * *

The red-haired boy lazily opened his eyes only to be met with a pure white ceiling. He blinked as he tried to recall what happened. Once he ransacked his brain for information, memories of the previous events flooded his mind. Cross gasped as he sat up.

Where was he?

Where's Neah?

What happened to the Noah?

"Whoa, keep your horses down!" He heard an exasperated sigh. "Sheesh, you woke up a minute ago and then you blabber questions non-stop! Where does all of that energy come from?"

Red eyes widened when he recognized the voice. His head snapped up to the side to look at his companion. His hands reached out to grab on the other's collar. "Where the fuck have you been, Alain?!"

The brunet apprentice had a sheepish grin on his face as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "You know, here and there. How do you feel?"

_'Like shit_,_'_ Cross bit the inside of his cheek from speaking out loud. "Just peachy. What happened, anyway?"

Alain sighed. He had been doing that a lot lately. "Well, as you can see, Neah betrayed the Noahs." He continued on about the Earl's plans, how Mana found out, Cornelia's death, Neah's revenge, and the memory transfer. The redhead's eyes looked like they were gonna pop out of his sockets. Who could blame him? It wasn't everyday you learn that your supposed 'kind' and 'accepting' boss was out to kill his beloved family to make himself powerful— not that he wasn't crazy strong already. Not only that, Alain has the Fourteenth's memories in exchange of giving up his profession and leaving the Bookman clan for good. All those years of being groomed to become the perfect successor went down the drain.

He growled at the ex-apprentice. "You just had to play martyr, didn't you? I don't know how you have Neah's memories, but you're going to throw away your dream of becoming the next Bookman? Why would you do something like that?!"

"You can't understand, seeing as you haven't been placed in a similar situation. I did it because he's my friend," The brown-haired teen had a determined look on his face. "I won't abandon him. Not then, not now, not ever."

Cross started to silently sob again. "Don't you realize what's going to happen? One day, Neah's memories are going to take over and you'll… cease to exist. And it's not like I can't understand, more like I can't accept it. That was a stupid thing to do."

"I know."

"You're going to die."

"I know."

The boy sighed. This was one of the few times when he felt that he was older than the other. He folded his arms as he stared at his friend. "What are you going to do now?"

"Well, I'm going to travel. See new places, create new bonds, and basically, live my life to the fullest until Neah awakens."

No words were spoken after that.

The next morning, there was no sign of Alain. All that was left on his wake was a white gun, a note, and Timcanpy. No goodbyes nor a bid of farewell from the previous evening. It was then that he realized how grave the situation was.

Alain was dying, and he couldn't do anything to stop him.

* * *

His friend lost in darkness would return, in exchange of another precious person.

* * *

The red-haired boy stared blankly at the wall as he stroke Timcanpy's wings.

_"Hello, is this thing on?"_

He listened to Tim's voice recording. He gritted his teeth when he heard Neah's voice. He knew that it was the ex-apprentice that offered to be his vessel but the Musician's voice… it held no remorse for what would happen in the future.

Was he heartless?

Did his friendship with Alain mean nothing to him?

_"Cross, if you're listening to this, I'm probably dead by then. Anyways," _The redhead heard some shuffles from the other side._ "there are only two things I would like to ask of you."_

There was a pause.

_"Watch over Mana for me, and no matter what happens, don't stop. Keep walking."_

The message ended.

Tears fell from his eyes as Cross drowned in the depths of his sorrow.

* * *

He can't forget. He won't forget. He'll never forget.

Not when he's the only person who knows.

Not when he's the only one left behind to remember.

Those events, whether good or bad, would forever be implanted in his mind.

Five years had passed since then.

* * *

Cross had closed his heart off from the rest of the world. He tried to distract himself from the bittersweet memories by playing hooky with women, gambling, smoking, and drinking. Sure, he was underage but people at shady bars rarely gave a damn about their customers as long as they pay.

He had learned to enjoy his vices and had mastered the art of 'arseholery'. Mana was still in a comatose, and he was secretly paying for his stay in the hospital. When he had been discharged, he immediately went on a job hunt, until he ran into an Akuma and met an old man named Kevin Yeegar. Said long-haired man was an Exorcist General and told him about the Black Order, the Exorcists, and Innocence. He had learned this from the Noahs, but not as detailed as the old man's explanations.

By then, General Yeegar discovered that he was Accomodator and he was to be apprenticed under the man because he had been the one to recruit him to their cause. Cross did not like the Order. They were corrupt and greedy and experimented on little kids. However, in exchange of money for Mana, he stayed. To refrain from interacting with the rest of the Order, he went to a lot of missions.

He was often accompanied by his faithful golem Timcanpy and his fellow apprentice under Yeegar, an ebony-haired girl named Maria. She was a Parasitic-type Exorcist who used her voice against her enemies. When the two met, they had a rocky start because of Cross's newly-developed asshole personality. The redhead disliked her because she judged him on-the-spot, but couldn't really blame her for it. At the end of the day, however, the two found each other tolerable to some degree and were close friends.

* * *

"Hey, shithead!" Yes, Maria had never called him by his name, and had a mouth fouler than any sailor's. "The Finders told me that they found Akuma gathering in the plaza. Get your ass moving!"

"Back at you, bitch!" It was obvious how great their _friendship_ was.

"Who're you calling bitch, man-whore?"

"Who're you calling man-whore, slut?"

"Bastard!"

"Cunt!"

"Girly hair!"

"Bird's nest for a hair!"

It went on and on until both of them got tired of it.

* * *

Okay, maybe not much on the tolerable part, but they're still friends.

It hadn't been long until Cross often found himself thinking of the girl who had called him 'shithead'.

* * *

"Judgment!" He clicked the safety of his gun and fired several bullets in rapid succession.

"Hauptstimme, activate!" She felt the familiar pulse of her Innocence. "Carte Garde!" She controlled the movements of a nearby Akuma to slaughter its own kind. The red-haired teen watched as her hair flowed freely with the wind, framing her heart-shaped face perfectly. He watched her eyes twinkle when she sang and he closed his eyes, silently humming along with her song (that also killed a lot of Akuma while he was entranced by her beauty).

It was then and there that he knew he had fallen in love with his comrade.

* * *

As years passed by, they had become closer.

Eventually, Cross confessed to his little crush and was surprised that she actually felt the same. Since then, he had been happier than ever. They dated for quite some time until he finally asked her to marry him on his twenty-fifth birthday. She had accepted.

On the same day, unfortunately, his entire world crashed down on him once more.

* * *

The red-haired man stared at the sight before him.

Maria, his lover, was hanged on a pole.

Black and blue covered her beautiful porcelain skin. Her face was not marred, but the rest of her body was ripped apart. The ebony-haired woman had her limbs twisted in awkward angles. Her arms were suspended to the side. Her Exorcist coat was a mess, with the skirt part forcefully torn. Blood and cum leaked trickled down her legs— or leg, as she was missing the lower half of her right one.

Cross fell to his knees.

It was supposed to be an easy mission.

She was supposed to be alive and unharmed.

They were supposed to be return safely, together.

So why?

Why did this have to happen?

The man touched his cheek. It was wet. Hot tears cascaded down his face. He hadn't cried in fifteen years, not since everything he had was taken away from him. Not since he discovered that Alain was dying and Mana was in comatose.

He buried his face in his hands.

"Maria…"

No.

He wouldn't lose anyone ever again, but he'll be damned before he attracts the Earl with his grief and turn his beloved into an Akuma. He won't trap her soul. He won't ask help from the fatso who had killed and defiled his fianceé.

The redhead approached Maria's body and lowered her from the pole, gently laying her on the ground. He stared at the woman's cerulean orbs before closing them. Even in death, her eyes were still breath-taking to look at. He placed his hands on top of the corpse and white sparks appeared. A glowing circle formed on the woman's chest. Cross gritted his teeth. He wasn't allowed to do this, but for her…

He would do anything.

Let consequences be damned.

He would have her back, even if he damns his soul to Hell.

"Abara Ura Mortem Masagarato Vitae… On!"

The white sparks covered her entire body as the redhead violated the laws of life. Her wounds started to disappear, but her appearance began to change. The dress underneath her Exorcist uniform stitched itself back together, too.

Days later, Cross would return to the Order as an Accomodator of _two_ Innocence fragments. He would be promoted because of his newly-acquired Grave of Maria.

* * *

His lover's body bound to him with sorcery, Cross continues to walk down the path he chose, never looking back.

* * *

This was Alain, Neah's host?

Why had he become younger?

"That creature you destroyed, it was called an Akuma," The red-haired General explained. "When your left arm activated, you didn't kill him. You freed his soul."

His listener, a young boy with shocking white hair and a monstrous claw on his left, stared blankly at him. Cross sighed as he took out a cigarette and lit it up. Timcanpy hovered over them. The redhead vaguely reminisced on how long it has been since he had voluntarily talked to another person.

Twenty years had passed since Maria died. Ten years had passed since Mana woke from his eternal slumber and the General started to watch over him. Four years had passed since Mana adopted a child and named him after a dog, Allen.

The boy had opened his mouth to speak, ignoring the pain from the left side of his face which was split open and swelled an angry red. "I freed Mana's soul?"

The man felt a bit bitter when he heard a slim glimmer of hope when the boy spoke about the Noah's brother. He had been the closest to Alain and yet... he acted as if Mana was his entire world. He probably was. "Yeah, you were given the power to be come one of God's apostles. Your left arm can save the souls of the Akuma."

"Save… not destroy?"

"That's right. Would you like to become an Exorcist?" Cross had his hand stretched out to the child who was slumped on the tombstone of his foster father. The albino gazed at him quietly before grasping the older man's hand. When he did so, an image appeared in the General's mind.

_A red-haired child grasped the hand of an older brown-haired male._

He shook his head. There was no time to reminisce.

Allen smiled at the man before fainting, falling forward. The redhead caught him before he hit the snowy ground. He sighed. Even when Alain had regressed back into a kid, he proved to be quite the handful.

And after thirty-five years, he had yet to be consumed by the Fourteenth. He carried the unconscious child in his arms.

He'll have to think about it later when he's given the boy some proper medical treatment.

* * *

"Is it okay if he dies?" Mother inquired as she paced around the room. It had been months since he went to his patron's home. The woman was his nursemaid during his stay at the hospital after he survived from the Noah incident.

He averted his eyes and said something that made the elderly woman stop in her tracks. "I've never thought of him as a child." Cross never considered him as 'Alain', not after learning that the Fourteenth was inside him and he'll fade from existence. It was too painful for him to think otherwise.

She turned around to stare at him in disbelief. His hair shadowed his eyes. "Neah died more than thirty years ago… why is a ten year-old brat like that the host?" He clenched his fists. "I… I have no idea how to care for a child."

Mother was silent for a few seconds before she responded. "But the 'Allen' that appeared in front of Mana… it was that boy, right?" She snorted. "Would it have been better if the host had been some sleazy bastard?" Cross froze and stared blankly at the old woman who was looking at him pointedly.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

It was at that moment that Cross finally faced the truth. He had to choice but to accept it. The only thing he could do was to groom the boy and teach him how to stand on his own two feet; give him a fighting chance against the Noah that threatened to consume him.

A smirk appeared on his face.

Maybe he can get Allen to call him 'Master' as payback for all those years ago.

* * *

Cross crouched down at the side of his idiot apprentice's slump figure. He took a deep breath. It was time. His job was over. He had done everything he could for him. The redhead stroke the albino's hair. "You better not disappoint me, Alain— no… Allen."

He stood up, waved a goodbye to Timcanpy, and left.

It was all up to the brat now.

* * *

Now that he thought of it, maybe he should've accompanied the brat to the Order.

When they had reunited at the Ark, he swore he saw the other's eyes flash gold for a fleeting moment. And the Fourteenth's room… the General never said anything but he saw the Musician's reflection on the window. Maybe he could've slowed the process when his old friend was one step forward to his demise.

Well, there was nothing he could do to change the past.

"I'm going to die a dog's death, huh…"

The red-haired General slumped in his position, his consciousness was slipping. He was losing too much blood.

This was it.

He was going to die.

Apocryphos was smirking at him. _'For an Innocence, this Apo-creep is pretty unholy and malicious,'_ He vaguely noted.

Cross closed his eyes and resigned to his fate.

* * *

_**The end?**_

* * *

_"Marian-chan, what happened to your resolve?"_

He snapped out of his stupor.

Was he hallucinating?

He blinked tiredly as he squinted his vision. Behind the sentient Innocence, the ethereal figure of a certain brown-haired teen smiled and waved at him happily. His gaze flickered to Apocryphos, who obviously didn't hear anything. Then… was he a ghost? But how could that be? His idiot apprentice was alive and kicking and was somewhere else. How could 'Alain' be here?

_"Are you going to let things end like this?"_

The redhead didn't react.

_"Are you going to waste everything you had endured up until now? Are you throwing away all of the sacrifices you made in the past? Are you giving up on the future?"_

_'I…'_

_"Cross... please don't lose hope." _The silhouette of a woman appeared beside Alain's figure. Cross's eyes widened. _'Maria…'_

_"You said it yourself, slave. Never stand still, keep walking."_

And they disappeared.

A bitter smile was on his face. It didn't matter to him if it had been his imagination. There was only one thing in his mind. Neah's words made him and Allen survive countless times. The friend he cherished and hated at the same time never ceased to help him, even in his temporary death.

With a burst of strength, the redhead summoned his second Innocence. A coffin covered with chains came from the ground. He pulled onto the bindings. "Grave of Maria!" It opened and the corpse of his beloved came in all her glory. For some reason, Maria seemed to be smiling at her owner.

It took the sentient Innocence by surprise. He had not expected for the other to retaliate.

"Magdala Curtain!"

Cross disappeared from Apocryphos's view. Said creature growled and tried to telepathically severe the link between the General and the Innocence fragment in Maria's body. However, because of the spell that connected the redhead's soul to the woman's, Apocryphos failed.

The red-haired man took that opportunity to open the window and escape with Maria. Once he landed on the ground, his bitter smile turned into a cocky grin. An idea came over him. He was sure the other won't see him but…

He gave a mocking salute to his assailant and the building of the Order.

"_Au revoir_, bitches!"

* * *

_Even in the past, you've always walked alone._

"This is something that I have to do as a Bookman, so just wait for me, okay?"

_You've always been bound by things out of your control._

"One day, Neah will take over and I'll be erased."

_For the sake of others, you have always gave up your happiness._

"I'm an Exorcist! Please let me return to the battlefield!"

_Though you were suffering, you reassured me._

"No matter what happens, we'll be the best of friends... forever."

_You constantly forget about yourself, but don't worry._

"Forget about me, and forget about the Noah. It doesn't concern you now."

_You don't have to sacrifice anything anymore._

"I'll always watch behind you, so don't look back anymore."

_This time, I'll protect you—_

"I chose to die not only for Neah, but for you and Mana, too."

_For my only wish is for you to walk down your own path._

* * *

Guided by the words of a precious friend, Cross moves forward to an unknown future.

* * *

_Only those left behind live to tell the tale._

* * *

**So did you guys like this one-shot? Man, this was hell to work on. The ending is rushed because I ran out of ideas. I got nothing left to add. This is the official timeline for Cross:**

**7: **He meets a 12 year-old Neah and joins his family

**10: **He meets a 15 year-old Alain and a 17 year-old Mana

**12: **Neah betrays the Earl

**17: **He becomes an Exorcist. Sometime later, he dates Maria

**25: **He and Maria get engaged. Maria dies. He revives her via sorcery, but he could only restore her corpse and Innocence

**35: **Mana awakens and he watches over him

**37: **Mana adopts Allen, Alain's younger self

**41: **Mana dies and he takes Allen to Mother and Baba

**45:** He sends Allen to the Order. DGM canon timeline

**46:** Apocryphos attacks him

**Please R & R, tell me what you think.**

**Ciao ciao~! -Flonne.**


End file.
